Trembling Bells & Mike Heron

FRIDAY 2ND AUGUST 2013

7.00pm

£15.00

Trembling Bells' are an acclaimed indie folk rock band from Scotland that reference late 1960s psychedelia and British folk revival acts such as Fairport Convention and the Incredible String Band. Lavinia Blackwall's soaring vocal style has drawn comparisons to Sandy Denny, and she took part in the recent tour 'The Lady A Homage to Sandy Denny' which was televised by the BBC.

This tour ‘The Circle is Unbroken’ follows on from the release of Trembling Bells’ acclaimed collaborative album and tour with Bonnie Prince Billy 'The Marble Downs' on Honest Jon’s last year.

Mike Heron is a Scottish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work in the Incredible String Band. The group built a considerable following, especially within the British counterculture in the 60's and 70's and were pioneers of psychedelic folk, integrating a wide variety of traditional music forms, blending rock, folk and world music into an atmospheric whole. A new Incredible String Band album ‘Live at The Filmore 1968’ was released on Hux this year.

Trembling Bells have worked with Mike Heron on a number of occasions and there is a natural kinship between them. ‘The Circle Is Unbroken’ debuted to glowing reviews at Celtic Connections in January, and celebrates Mike Heron’s legacy in his 70th year. The concert highlights their musical sympathies, as they exchange material in an evening comprised of classic String Band songs, and the contemporary tunes of The Trembling Bells.

Shelagh McDonald made two admired albums in the early 1970s and then disappeared for 33 years. Now she is back making live appearances that prove her musicianship and charm have not diminished with the years.

As cult figures go, few come with greater credentials: A wonderful singer, guitarist and songwriter, her two LPs (The Shelagh McDonald Album from 1971 and Stargazer from 1972) were among the jewels of the early ’70s folk-rock era.

Green Note review, R2, Philip Ward “when she took to the stage the years seemed to fall away. Looking little changed from her old photographs and sounding little different from her recordings.”